Rambling...and a Recipe!

Hello, friends!

How is your day? Your week?

Mine, pleasantly well. I have spent most of today, doing nothing, but sitting on the patio and enjoying the Summer breeze. You see, ever since we returned home from our honeymoon, I have felt the need to work around the house, keep up the laundry, cook, go through photos and decide which ones to send off for developing. Cleaning, dusting. Today I asked myself, "when will you ever get around to creativity and doing other fulfilling things.... That you so longed to do over Summer break"?

Is it because I am a new wife,that I suddenly feel as though I must constantly be doing "wifely" things?

Why do we put such expectations on ourselves? I certainly don't feel pressure from my new husband.

My mind is full again...

Things that I should do, things that I desire to do, and of course...

I so enjoyed being here-

On the beach. Possibly I'm still coming down from all of the bliss!

I can't seem to find my creative path at this time, and it's oh, so frustrating!

 

Yesterday I ordered 8"x10" prints of some of the pretty boats and beaches that we saw while on our honeymoon. I'm going to frame them and hang in our home. I loved this abandoned boat... And couldn't help wondering just why it was left here, all alone to rust. The color is my favorite! Blues. So tranquil.

My sweetheart has had a busy work week. Possibly, I feel some guilt for being at home...

Still on vacation.

I'm sure that he too, thinks about all of the wonderful places that we visited.

I reminded him that tomorrow is Friday!

And then...

It occurred to me that Saturday is the Mad Hatter tea party! Oh my!

I grabbed my tea party recipe book and began flipping through the pages for some yummy ideas!

 

Have you seen this book?

"The Afternoon Tea Collection"?

It's quite lovely. A nice size too! I do not like large recipe books!

Maybe you would like to try a recipe from the book?

This one sounds good!

"Coffee Almond Biscuits"

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

3 teaspoons hot water

3 cups (360g) ground almonds

1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar

2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur

3 egg whites, beaten lightly

24 coffee beans

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/ 350 degrees F.

1. Grease oven trays, line with baking paper.

2. Dissolve coffee in the hot water in a large bowl. Stir in ground almonds, sugar, liqueur and egg whites until mixture forms a paste.

3. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls; place on trays 1 1/4 inches apart; flatten with hand. Press coffee beans into tops of biscuits.

4. Bake biscuits for about 15 minutes.

Cool on trays.

Prep plus cook time- 30 minutes

Makes 24

I love all things coffee so I will be trying this recipe soon! Please, let me know if you try it before I, and how it was!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

Seaside Dreamin'...

Hello, out there!

Are you loving Your Summer?

I certainly am, but I must confess...

I don't feel like it's Summer yet. Because I am a school employee,and have been for years now, I am used to having Summers off. With this little Summer school job, I am still answering to an alarm clock way early in the morning and when I arrive back home, I'm tired. (Getting older)! It's a challenge to spark creativity, but I push myself. I also should be enjoying these few weeks before our wedding, and focusing on wedding & honeymoon details...

But I'm burned out and exhausted.

I am so looking forward to our special day and spending time with family....

And I can't wait to walk barefoot on hot sand and relax to the sound of splashing waves, with my sweetheart!

I wish the time would arrive already (and Summer school would be completed), so that I could truly be on Summer vacation!!! I have so much to look forward to! I'm so blessed...

But just like my students, I want it all NOW! (She sticks out her bottom lip and pouts).

Ok.

The hissy fit is over! (Or shall I call it, "the Missy fit")? It has a nice ring to it, ey?

Journal, journal, journal!

My personal sounding board and dear friend.

 

I will dream that the day has come and that Paul and I are gathering beautiful seashells along the shoreline!

 

Oh, I would just flip if I found a sand dollar or a really unique shell for our collection!

For this journal page I started out with the Gelato sticks (background), wet. I really should have added more layers for a more vibrant color, but I wanted to sketch and paint the seashells NOW! I am really on my last nerve! Lol.

 

I painted most of the shells with Twinkling H2o's. The photos do not show the shimmer. These watercolors are so much fun and perfect for those paintings that need some sparkle, such as shells! Just look at all of the choices for pearalized effect? Lovely.

I adore all things ocean/ beachy.

 

This is our garden tub in the master bathroom. I told you about the shells that my dad picked up...

I kept them.

Put some in this vase, with a lucky bamboo plant!

These plants are great. Just keep water in the vase. That's it. About once a month I freshen up the water!

 

I like to look at pretty things while soaking in a bubble bath! It's also nice to think of my dad, walking in the sand, picking up each and every one of these shells.

 

Yes, I do love the ocean. The sandy beaches.

 

And HIM!

Until next time,

XO

 

Dear to My Heart...

Even with Fridays off from work...

The weekends are just too short!

We play hard around here. We also rest and gaze at our blooms in our gardens. Pick not only pretty flowers to put into vases, but also fresh herbs and vegetables for delightful dishes!

There's almost always time for painting on the weekends.

Painting and dreaming...

Wondering

STILL

If mermaids are real.

 

I also went down to the basement this morning.

Now that I have found home, I will be going through all of my boxed belongings. Weeding out some things, finding a place for other things. It's kinda like Christmas! I open each box, not really knowing just what treasures (or trash) will be found!

For sure...

When I peeked inside of this box and saw a glimpse of these jewels...

I knew that I had found true treasures!!!

 

I have oodles and oodles of them.

These seashells were gathered with my daddy's own hands, on the beaches in Maryland when I was living there. My entire family came to visit their homesick girl.

Instead of trying to get the shells back to Kansas via plane, my dad left them for me. I'm a sentimental keeper of all things that document life and loved ones, family.

I now have places for all of these very special shells.

Some are in a vase in our master bathroom, on the ledge of the garden tub.

Some are now in our rock gardens. I have more ideas and uses for the shells!

 

I hold these things close to my heart.

Forever.

 

My sweetheart took over the kitchen today!

He made fresh salsa, using our garden veggies. Oh my. So good!

Later on, after lazy day naps...

He grilled some chicken, made potato salad. He cut our broccoli so that I could put itin the steamer.

It was a perfect Summertime meal!

Do you have one of those steamers?

I love ours!

I have also steamed fish and vegetables, all at the same time! A healthy meal in minutes.

 

And that's been my day.

A glorious day!

 

Are Mermaids Real?

I saw it on the tv last night... And the night before.

Reported sightings of them. Some captured pictures, others had short video clips of this creature with webbed hands, a long fish-like tail...

A human-like torso and skull.

Supposedly, a body had also washed up to shore, having all of these same features...

And supposedly, the government has stepped in to keep this hush hush.

 

I like to believe that mermaids ARE real.

I keep them alive in my art and with some pretty trinkets that I have collected through the years. I've always loved all things mermaid!

When I paint the mermaid, I prefer to use several colors...

Soft and subtle. Sometimes sparkling colors. Twinkle, twinkle. Happy glow!

 

What do you believe?

Please, share.

 

From The Country... Art Journal Catch Up.

Hello out there!!!!

Oh, what a slice of Heaven it is, to be on Summer break! It's nice to wake up each morning, knowing that I can do anything that I desire... However, I do have some commission work to tend to (more on that in another post). I bounce out of bed bright and early, eager to play! Of course, even this requires coffee.

I did spend the first hour or so adding another layer of paint to a commission painting, but then I decided to catch up on some art journaling.

Do you recall the rooster journal entry? Well, I didn't use an entire page for the entry and I just cannot bring myself to waste any space in my art journals...

So, I did this-

I started journaling on the same page as the silly rooster entry, and spilled over onto the following page.

I like!

 

I'm so picky about my journals. I didn't want to start any new entries until I documented our Florida vacation! I like order and sequence.

Now that we are back home, we are working on our patio to create our own tropical paradise. Our patio bar has been completed. We pick up the quartz countertop Friday! The bar will also be a wonderful work station for me. We purchased some large tropical plants and pots over the weekend!

A little at a time.

That's okay. We have the rest of our lives here, together!

I must dash for now and get the chicken outside, and on the grill!

I shall return very soon!